Here’s Why #BlockShaunKing Is Trending On Twitter
In the last few days, the hashtag #BlockShaunKing has been trending on Twitter, encouraging users to block Black Lives Matter activist and writer, Shaun King. For the last few months, King’s reputation has been in somewhat of a controversial light, with many people not only questioning his validity as a Black man, but also where the money from his fundraisers goes. While King promotes himself as an activist fighting the good fight against racism and inequality, many have accused him of using Black death as a means for personal gain.
As recently as March of 2021, both Samaria Rice and Lisa Simpson, the mothers of Tamir Rice and Richard Risher, have called King out for “monopolizing and capitalizing” off of the fight for justice, along with several other high-profile activists and the Black Lives Matter Global Network.
“We don’t want or need y’all parading in the streets accumulating donations, platforms, movie deals, etc. off the death of our loved ones, while the families and communities are left clueless and broken,” Rice and Simpson wrote in their official statement.
Last week on June 22nd, Rice took to Instagram to post about a recent conversation that she had with King, claiming that the entire ordeal was both toxic and uncomfortable, calling it a “cop and donut conversation.” She stated that along with the United States, King robbed her for the death of her son, Tamir.
Though efforts have been made to get King to own up to the accusations and admit his wrongdoings, he has maintained that he is innocent. In response to this, people have decided that it is best for him to be blocked on all social media platforms, in an attempt to take away his online soapbox and hold him accountable. The #BlockShaunKing hashtag was both organized and introduced by North Carolina journalist and online influencer, Hanna Phifer, known by her online name, @WrittenByHanna. On June 24th, Phifer made a thread on Twitter, detailing and documenting much of the controversy around Shaun King, along with recent statements that he made regarding the Samaria Rice situation.
“Attempts have been made to call in Shaun, to take a more restorative approach to his actions, but it’s clear that he is not receptive to that. It[‘s] been beyond time to deplatform him. #BlockShaunKing,” Phifer wrote in one of the thread’s tweets. Because most of King’s attention and status comes from his online following and presence, Phifer thought it would be best to block him in retaliation.
In the thread, Phifer also made note of the fact that Samaria Rice has not been the only parent to speak out against BLM activists for their shady behavior. Tamika Palmer, the mother of Breonna Taylor, along with Michael Brown Sr., the father of Michael Brown have also stated that they have issues with the Black Lives Matter movement, especially as they relate to money. Many families have claimed to see little to none of the money that was raised after the deaths of their loved ones, which points to a larger issue at hand.